WE'RE HOOKED
"It’s been 20 years since Eddie Hill became the first nitro racer to record a sub-five-second pass (which, by the way, caused the NHRA to make the first change to slow down the cars by restricting the rear-end ratio to 3:20 or higher)"
I remember this being done because the big dogs were lunching rear ends on the starting line and puking gear lube on the track with their 2.90 gears. My info came from "Big Hook!"
Mark Breznay
Miami, Florida
A PHRASE-WORTHY LETTER (unedited)
Think drag racing should get more exposure locally. Have a nationally known track (Englishtown) near here and only get 1/2 page spread during the national meet. Do not think NHRA is for the little guy any more. They drop classes like stock and super stock in the northeast which is Division 1"Land of the door slammers".
Have to do something with super comp and super gas. Boring, who has the better computer. About as exciting to watch as grass growing. Would probably get more participation if favorable treatment of the little guy. Need more TV coverage. Turn on TV during NASCAR season and see them for hours on multiple days. See NHRA couple hours on SAT and SUN. Sometimes too late to even watch. How does Mr. Archambeault even get emails? Could not find a link or address on the NHRA site.
Ed Yesunas
New Jersey
THE FANS ARE THE LOSERS
Hey Jeff, with regards to you wanting your “old NHRA” back. This is what my buddy Derek and I have been saying for years! Corporate entities don't care a lick about the 'product' they manipulate because it's just that - a product! It could be real estate or commodities or sports teams or whatever. As long as it's making them money, why should they care? If it stops making money they sell it and find something else to exploit. If it happens to involve actual people and some type of social aspect and they get thrashed in the process, so what? It's just business. When a 'professional sport' (an oxymoron if ever there was one) becomes a corporate asset, the fans are the least important thing on the balance sheet. Win-win seems like a good thing to strive for but in reality it hardly ever occurs.
Mike Gamache
Montreal, Canada
RACING IN BOTH LANES
Yeah! Atlanta was actually a 2-lane race track. And there was some real drag racing on it. You know, where two cars run more or less side-by-side for the length of the track. That's racing!!!! Now the last event (I refuse to call Las Vegas a drag strip) was nothing even close to racing. NHRA needs to force Las Vegas or pull the heck out of there completely. And keep an eye on the other tracks, too. The racers deserve to be able to compete. And the fans deserve side-by-side drag racing.
Steve Graham
Raleigh, North Carolina
HMM…
Just a question: At Las Vegas Kenny Koresky was low qualifier in Pro Stock using a Tom Hammonds engine, then two weeks later he shows up with an engine from another supplier and fails to qualify. Why would he abandon an obviously good thing? Thanks.
Ted Brann
Lexington, Kentucky
TIME TRAVELING?
Burk, its starting to sound like early 1972... Talk about how poorly the NHRA payouts are... Please tell us again what the pro payouts were for the 72 AHRA National Challenge… Can we all say $38,000 to each pro (includes contingencies) Sportsman payout winners over $12,000... Boys this was 1972...What if the IHRA held a 4 day race over Labor day with $100,000 to the Pro winners, and paid down 16 spots... Indy might be kinda lonely like in 72...Yes, it was a ghost show at the Indy race. Would today’s Pros try it?? Maybe they do not want to prove a point...THE GUYS DID IN 72.
Don Spencer
Houston, Texas